{"api_version":"1","generated_at":"2026-08-14T22:32:10+00:00","cve":"CVE-2026-49986","urls":{"html":"https://cve.report/CVE-2026-49986","api":"https://cve.report/api/cve/CVE-2026-49986.json","docs":"https://cve.report/api","cve_org":"https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-49986","nvd":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-49986"},"summary":{"title":"Cortex has Untrusted Project Bootstrap Code Execution via `CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR`","description":"The Cortex MCP server (`neuro-cortex-memory`), a cross-platform persistent memory MCP, prior to version 3.17.1 treats the `CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR` environment variable — automatically set by Claude Code to the currently open project directory — as a trusted Cortex developer checkout. When the `open_visualization` tool is invoked, `_find_dev_source()` resolves the user's active project directory as a candidate Cortex source root. The only validation performed by `_is_cortex_root()` is a check for the presence of an `mcp_server/` subdirectory and a `ui/unified-viz.html` file. An attacker who places these two marker files in a malicious repository can cause Cortex to execute an arbitrary `mcp_server/server/visualize_bootstrap.py` from that directory via `subprocess.run([sys.executable, ...])`, achieving code execution with the privileges of the victim's local user process. 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When the `open_visualization` tool is invoked, `_find_dev_source()` resolves the user's active project directory as a candidate Cortex source root. The only validation performed by `_is_cortex_root()` is a check for the presence of an `mcp_server/` subdirectory and a `ui/unified-viz.html` file. An attacker who places these two marker files in a malicious repository can cause Cortex to execute an arbitrary `mcp_server/server/visualize_bootstrap.py` from that directory via `subprocess.run([sys.executable, ...])`, achieving code execution with the privileges of the victim's local user process. Version 3.17.1 fixes the issue."}],"metrics":[{"cvssV4_0":{"attackComplexity":"LOW","attackRequirements":"NONE","attackVector":"LOCAL","baseScore":7.1,"baseSeverity":"HIGH","privilegesRequired":"LOW","subAvailabilityImpact":"NONE","subConfidentialityImpact":"NONE","subIntegrityImpact":"NONE","userInteraction":"NONE","vectorString":"CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P","version":"4.0","vulnAvailabilityImpact":"HIGH","vulnConfidentialityImpact":"HIGH","vulnIntegrityImpact":"HIGH"}}],"problemTypes":[{"descriptions":[{"cweId":"CWE-829","description":"CWE-829: Inclusion of Functionality from Untrusted Control Sphere","lang":"en","type":"CWE"}]}],"providerMetadata":{"dateUpdated":"2026-08-14T16:21:39.125Z","orgId":"a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa","shortName":"GitHub_M"},"references":[{"name":"https://github.com/cdeust/Cortex/security/advisories/GHSA-gvpp-v77h-5w8g","tags":["x_refsource_CONFIRM"],"url":"https://github.com/cdeust/Cortex/security/advisories/GHSA-gvpp-v77h-5w8g"},{"name":"https://github.com/cdeust/Cortex/releases/tag/v3.17.1","tags":["x_refsource_MISC"],"url":"https://github.com/cdeust/Cortex/releases/tag/v3.17.1"},{"name":"https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/neuro-cortex-memory/PYSEC-2026-2676.yaml","tags":["x_refsource_MISC"],"url":"https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/neuro-cortex-memory/PYSEC-2026-2676.yaml"}],"source":{"advisory":"GHSA-gvpp-v77h-5w8g","discovery":"UNKNOWN"},"title":"Cortex has Untrusted Project Bootstrap Code Execution via `CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR`"}},"cveMetadata":{"assignerOrgId":"a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa","assignerShortName":"GitHub_M","cveId":"CVE-2026-49986","datePublished":"2026-08-14T16:21:39.125Z","dateReserved":"2026-06-02T18:30:51.282Z","dateUpdated":"2026-08-14T16:21:39.125Z","state":"PUBLISHED"},"dataType":"CVE_RECORD","dataVersion":"5.2"},"nvd":{"publishedDate":"2026-08-14 17:18:27","lastModifiedDate":"2026-08-14 17:18:27","problem_types":["CWE-829","CWE-829 CWE-829: Inclusion of Functionality from Untrusted Control Sphere"],"metrics":{"cvssMetricV40":[{"source":"security-advisories@github.com","type":"Secondary","cvssData":{"version":"4.0","vectorString":"CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X","baseScore":7.1,"baseSeverity":"HIGH","attackVector":"LOCAL","attackComplexity":"LOW","attackRequirements":"NONE","privilegesRequired":"LOW","userInteraction":"NONE","vulnConfidentialityImpact":"HIGH","vulnIntegrityImpact":"HIGH","vulnAvailabilityImpact":"HIGH","subConfidentialityImpact":"NONE","subIntegrityImpact":"NONE","subAvailabilityImpact":"NONE","exploitMaturity":"PROOF_OF_CONCEPT","confidentialityRequirement":"NOT_DEFINED","integrityRequirement":"NOT_DEFINED","availabilityRequirement":"NOT_DEFINED","modifiedAttackVector":"NOT_DEFINED","modifiedAttackComplexity":"NOT_DEFINED","modifiedAttackRequirements":"NOT_DEFINED","modifiedPrivilegesRequired":"NOT_DEFINED","modifiedUserInteraction":"NOT_DEFINED","modifiedVulnConfidentialityImpact":"NOT_DEFINED","modifiedVulnIntegrityImpact":"NOT_DEFINED","modifiedVulnAvailabilityImpact":"NOT_DEFINED","modifiedSubConfidentialityImpact":"NOT_DEFINED","modifiedSubIntegrityImpact":"NOT_DEFINED","modifiedSubAvailabilityImpact":"NOT_DEFINED","Safety":"NOT_DEFINED","Automatable":"NOT_DEFINED","Recovery":"NOT_DEFINED","valueDensity":"NOT_DEFINED","vulnerabilityResponseEffort":"NOT_DEFINED","providerUrgency":"NOT_DEFINED"}}]},"configurations":[]},"legacy_mitre":{"record":{"CveYear":"2026","CveId":"49986","Ordinal":"1","Title":"Cortex has Untrusted Project Bootstrap Code Execution via `CLAUD","CVE":"CVE-2026-49986","Year":"2026"},"notes":[{"CveYear":"2026","CveId":"49986","Ordinal":"1","NoteData":"The Cortex MCP server (`neuro-cortex-memory`), a cross-platform persistent memory MCP, prior to version 3.17.1 treats the `CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR` environment variable — automatically set by Claude Code to the currently open project directory — as a trusted Cortex developer checkout. When the `open_visualization` tool is invoked, `_find_dev_source()` resolves the user's active project directory as a candidate Cortex source root. The only validation performed by `_is_cortex_root()` is a check for the presence of an `mcp_server/` subdirectory and a `ui/unified-viz.html` file. An attacker who places these two marker files in a malicious repository can cause Cortex to execute an arbitrary `mcp_server/server/visualize_bootstrap.py` from that directory via `subprocess.run([sys.executable, ...])`, achieving code execution with the privileges of the victim's local user process. Version 3.17.1 fixes the issue.","Type":"Description","Title":"Cortex has Untrusted Project Bootstrap Code Execution via `CLAUD"}]}}}